My Motherhood Journey

After we adopted the boys in December of 2011, we had a 'celebration' at our church, inviting church family, along with our families and many friends who had walked with us from the beginning. We gave our testimony and shared what God had done in, and with, our lives, and how we came to be the Akin5.

This past weekend we celebrated the adoption of our daughter and becoming the Akin6, this time at our home, but again, inviting family and friends who have loved, prayed for, and shared in this journey in small and big ways.

Some of the family

Gram and Aunt Emma

It was a nice gathering and mix of new and old friends, and family from near and far, but all present shared a common bond. A joy and excitement, an understanding, to some degree, of the life changing event that had taken place in this little girls life, and in ours. We are humbled and honored that each one here that day, and many who were unable to make it, took the time out to celebrate and acknowledge the moment with us.

Sophia and Mommy

The Sophalitas

As I looked around at friends gathered that day, I saw a beautiful thing. Aside from our three adopted through the foster care system, I saw three beautiful little girls adopted from China into two different and amazing families. I saw my dear friends with their daughter (and grown son), adopted traditionally eleven and twenty years ago. I saw another friend who's son was adopted approximately eleven years ago from Guatemala. I saw our brother in law who adopted his oldest son, now serving in the Air Force as his parents did, when he married Scott's sister some fourteen years ago. I saw Scott's dad who adopted him when he was four, and thought of my dad, unable to attend from Oklahoma, who adopted me when I was eight. Maybe there were more, but those are the ones I know of for sure. When you consider, not just the eleven present that were adopted, but their families, most of them represented here that day, about half of those present were directly involved in some form or fashion, in an adoption! That's a beautiful thing.

Sister sweetness.

Beautiful girl.

Whether called to oversees adoption, traditional, through marriage, or foster care. Whether it's out of a desire to please God, a desire to adopt, or driven by infertility. There are kids around the globe in need of a family to say yes to them. "Yes, I will love you." "Yes, I will call you my own."

Bounce house fun.

Two of my boys walking with a sweet friend.

It was not out of our greatness. It is not cause to boast. It does not set our family above. But, adoption has been a gift. God changed me forever when He brought us a family and made me mommy through adoption, and in the process, gave us a biological son. We called him 'magic and miracles' because after eight years, he was a miracle and the sight of him...pure magic. But the truth is, they all are. The perfect time and the perfect way that God brought each of them to us, is nothing short of a miracle, and the sight of each one....pure magic.

Making Me Mommy

God is daily making me into the mommy He desires through the lives and adventures of the four littles He's blessed our family with. This site is a way to document our story for my own cathartic purposes, for our kids, and for anyone who happens to enjoy following along!

Follow my journey on Instagram!

#morningoals Oh, to wake up so #Hollywood... 😂 #momlife requires #coffee before even thinking about bringing the sass! •••••
#makingmemommy #girlmom #sass

These kids. My love for them is as fierce as the #wth voice in my head is loud! 😆 At Culver’s today a woman stopped me at the ketchup dispenser and said, “I think you might actually be Wonder Woman.” #theundiesdontlie 💁🏻‍♀️ And another man stopped at our table and asked if I homeschooled my kids. He said he could tell because I had such “command” of the table. That they listened, had conversation and were so polite. (Which at the time was completely true) I wanted to say, “Thank you, but you must have missed the head-locking wrestling match my oldest two had up front as I was ordering!” They try my every last nerve but grace and love prevail every time! #thankyoujesus ❤️
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#makingmemommy #momlife #homeschoolers #homeschoollife #AkinAcademy #thesekids #inthemoment

Love this #evereve shirt the hubs got me for Mother’s day! This crew, plus one sleeping baby, are the absolute best a #mom could ask for. Love them up all the clouds in the sky, and then some. ❤️ ••••• #dontmesswithmama #makingmemommy #boymom #girlmom #momoffive #countrylife #homeschoolmom

The story behind my 'why'. Don't judge our circus! We are right where God wants us to be, full house and open doors! We may adopt again, we may not. Only God knows, but our willing hearts are ready and waiting.

Tears streamed down my face as I read these words to Scott. I knew all along that God wanted me to take this trip, but seeing how He put these words in my heart five months before working it out in my life was such beautiful confirmation of His love of me, and His will for my life.